Experience rural village life, heritage architecture, Kumaoni cuisine and Himalayan views in Nainital, India

Details

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  Description

  Hello beautiful people! I am Shantanu who is operating a hostel and a homestay built in the Kumaoni heritage architecture, a place situated on the top of magnificent hills which is 15 miles from the beautiful town of Nainital. I am running this project with my friend Harshit who is operating a hotel nearby.
  
  I have been an avid traveller throughout my life. I pursued my BBA and MBA (Oil and Gas Business) from UPES Dehradun and worked in a liasoning MNC in oil and gas sector based in Delhi. After a while, I quit my job to travel full time and took to the roads of Uttarakhand, Himachal, Nepal and some parts of South India. I also co-founded a startup in Gurgaon with my friend Gulshan based on distribution of organic fruits to corporate networks in Gurgaon.
  Two years back, I moved to the hills of Uttarakhand to start a homestay cum hostel business.
  
  I like interacting with people from various walks of life and learn something from everyone. We have developed this place with the help of friends, villagers and guests who have turned this place into a therapeutic lifestyle. It is situated at the highest trail of the village and Jim Corbett forest starts right after this trail. All the houses in villages are scattered with long distances which makes this place an ideal world to relax, meditate and be at peace.
  
  We have guests coming from around all parts of the year, though they are less in number in the cold months of December and January and monsoons of July and August. We have cultivated a piece of land with wheat and another piece of land with vegetables. We do not use any pesticides or chemicals and natural water available here for irrigation has great properties to complement the growth of vegetables. We are also in the process of adding new comforts to this environment by constructing Eco Huts and treehouses.
  
  We like to provide a very liberal and peaceful environment for anyone who want to explore their creativity in various aspects. We are developing a culture where all kinds of freelancers can take a time off from their city life and work and relax in this peaceful environment. We have a decently stable wifi connection.
  
  We employ four people on our team. Two of them are responsible for cooking meals and serving our guests and volunteers. The other two carry out the housekeeping and general maintenance tasks like sourcing wood, shopping groceries, and other things.
  
  So feel free to come and explore your creativity and associate with us for any duration of time you want.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Language practice

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  Hospitality/Tourism

  General Maintenance

  Help with Computers/ Internet
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Staying in a hostel on the top of hills is such a unique experience because you can live a very healthy lifestyle with a beautiful sunrise, sunset, panoramic views with a locally grown nutritious and delicious meals.
  There is a lot to learn in various fields like agriculture, architecture, homestay operations, and explore your artistic self. And we encourage you to work in areas which you really enjoy from your heart.
  This is an ideal place for Yoga and meditation where you can immerse yourself in peace and tranquility.
  We have guests coming from all parts of India and the world, and thus there are huge opportunities for cultural exchange in regard to cuisines, art forms, and lifestyle.

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  Help

  We would like to provide our volunteers with all the flexibility and liberty to work in any of the areas you would like to contribute.
  
  1) Enhancing Guest experience at the hostel, which involves reception, general management, organising group activities like Morning Yoga, Forest hikes, local Village tours, Bonfire and Musical Evenings.
  
  2) We have another segment of organic farming, where we are growing some vegetables and wheat for the purpose of self-consumption. If this concept interests you, you are welcome to help us in the cultivation process, inspire us with your ideas or knowledge, and enjoy farming with our agriculture staff.
  
  3.) We are in the process of constructing Eco Huts and other projects like treehouses around our place. If you enjoy building things, you can always pitch in with your help and ideas.
  
  4.) Another way you can help us is with managing social media content and guest bookings. If you like creating content in any respect, be it blogs or vlogs, photography or anything, we would love to host you. You can also help us with managing our online bookings.
  
  5.) We have two small mountain dogs, and if you love to be around them, you can always cuddle them, feed them and spend time with them.
  
  6) We are always happy to invite yoga teachers, musicians, and other artists who like to enjoy the vibe of this area.
  
  7. Volunteers can create art forms on the walls or anywhere around. They can be creative in whatever they like and however, they aspire. We had a really good experience from our guests who have multiplied the beautiful essence of this place through their wall arts, paintings, drawings, and designs which have inspired us to invite creativity. You have all the freedom to explore your creativity and we are always there to encourage you.
  
  
  You can contribute to any number of areas you like. And you can always switch to things you enjoy the most. Today you can be painting walls, tomorrow you can be farming organic vegetables, and a day later maybe accepting online bookings. You have the complete freedom to do whatever you want and how long you want. You can always meditate and relax for the entire day.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Hindi: Fluent

  This host offers a language exchange
  This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
  You can contact them directly for more information.
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  Accommodation

  We provide a simple but comfortable stay in one of the beds in our dormitory with comfy pillows, mattresses, and blankets. Our dormitory is carved of the thick layer of stones, which keeps a very warm and cozy temperature inside.
  
  We serve simple but nutritious meals 2 times a day, they have option to order meals from the Cafe at a discounted price.
  
  We have Indian squat toilets as well as a Western toilet just outside the dorm. Warm water is available throughout.
  Apart from dormitories, our volunteer also has the option of sleeping in forest camps if they enjoy. There is ample of space to sit and hang around the property including a common hall for yoga, meditation and music events. Wifi is decent enough.

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  What else ...

  There are a lot of beautiful places in the valley to travel and explore. And we would always be happy to guide you about the destinations. The village in itself is a very unique culture where you will come across sweet and helpful villagers and know about their beautiful culture and traditions. Nainital town is very close which has lots of attractions. Within a range of 50 miles, there are a lot of beautiful hill stations like Mukteshwar which we encourage you to travel and explore.
  A kilometre trek from here will take you to the snow-capped Himalayan views and Jim Corbett forests from a bird's eye view.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Can host digital nomads

  Our place is equipped with a high speed wifi connectivity and a lot of open and closed spaces for working or simply chilling on the hilltop in the nature.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  This host can provide space for campervans.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  Hours expected

  4 to 5 hours a day, 5 days a week

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